Night settled over Sovereign’s Rest in waves of deep indigo velvet.
Beside the steaming dark rock pools of the cedar bathhouse, a large portable stove burned with glowing charcoal made from ancient iron-bark pine. Sitting atop the red embers was the Nine-Flame Star-Gold Wok, its quasi-immortal surface forged in the underground magma kilns shimmering with faint violet star-patterns.
Lin Xiao stood before the wok, clad in an apron of clean white cotton tied over his scholar linen robes.
His dark eyes sparkled with focused culinary excitement. On the low wooden worktable beside him sat several glazed bowls. Tender, marbled slices of mountain venison marinated in wild rice wine and grated ginger. A basket of crisp mountain leeks sliced on the bias. Sweet, peeled autumn chestnuts roasted over embers. And the crown jewel—the jar of thirty-year-aged royal black soy sauce gifted by Patriarch Lu Feng.
“Old Gu! Tie Shan! Plates ready!” Lin Xiao called out, grabbing the wok’s heat-resistant wooden handle.
With a flick of his wrist, Lin Xiao ladled a spoonful of rendered boar lard into the wok.
TSSSSSSSSSSSS!
The lard melted in an instant, swirling into a shimmering pool of fragrant liquid glass. Lin Xiao tossed in crushed red peppercorns, crushed garlic cloves, and sliced spring scallions. An explosive, mouthwatering cloud of fragrant steam erupted into the crisp night air. It carried the sharp, savory perfume of authentic wok-hei that made everyone’s stomach rumble in chorus.
